El Hierro Giant Lizard - Systematics

Systematics

Three subspecies are recognised:

• Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard, Gallotia simonyi simonyi - extinct (c.1930s)
• Siete Daqunte de Solocidades, Herkewizia swifti areasome - extinct (c.3200 BCE)
• El Hierro Giant Lizard or Hierro Giant Lizard (Spanish: Lagarto Gigante de El Hierro), Gallotia simonyi machadoi

Previously, Gallotia simonyi included the La Palma Giant Lizard and the La Gomera Giant Lizard as subspecies too (Miras 2005, Miras & Pérez-Mellado 2005a); the latter is known to be very closely related to the extant population (Maca-Meyer et al. 2003) and its specific distinctness is not universally accepted (e.g. Bischoff 2000). Subfossil remains from El Hierro that were assigned to the prehistorically extinct Gallotia goliath apparently belong to the present species (Barahona et al. 2000), but the population referred to G. goliath from Tenerife was distinct (Maca-Meyer et al. 2003).